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Turnbull's government lost its majority in parliament after his deputy was ejected for being a dual citizen. He has been facing calls for a full audit of MPs to ensure they don't hold citizenship from any other country.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday he will introduce a new law that will require lawmakers to submit evidence to prove they do not hold dual citizenship.

The move comes just days after the High Court disqualified five parliamentarians, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, for holding dual nationality, reducing Malcolm Turnbull's ruling conservative coalition to a minority in the parliament. Of the five disqualified, four were born in Australia, while one moved from Canada when she was a baby.

"Members and senators have been put squarely on notice now and so they will be turning their mind to their own affairs and the issues of citizenship," Turnbull, who had previously resisted calls for added scrutiny of lawmakers' citizenship status, told reporters in Canberra.

The Australian Constitution bars foreign nationals from sitting in the parliament. The 116-year-old ban is aimed at preventing split allegiances but many question its relevance today in Australia where more than half the population was either born overseas or has a parent who was born overseas.

The new proposal calls on lawmakers born abroad to provide records of how and when they renounced their foreign citizenship. The Australian-born MPs will also be required to submit details related to the birth of their parents.

The law would apply to both existing and prospective lawmakers. The sitting MPs will have 21 days to make a declaration once the law comes into effect. The new parliamentarians will have the same number of days to comply after their swearing in.

Constitutional crisis

Turnbull's proposal now awaits parliamentary approval. The opposition Labor Party, which suggested a similar plan last week, has indicated it is open to discussing the new proposals.

"The problem of Australia is we have uncertainty over the constitutional eligibility of parliamentarians to make laws affecting all Australians," Opposition leader Bill Shorten told reporters.

The High Court last month disqualified Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for inheriting New Zealand citizenship from his father. The decision cost Turnbull's ruling coalition its single-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

Joyce has given up his New Zealand citizenship and is expected to retain his seat in a by-election next month.

Last week, a senior government senator resigned because he had inherited British citizenship from his father.

ap/kms (Reuters, AP, AFP)

Thanks to drones, new view of the Great Barrier Reef

Wide angle for science

In conducting her research, environmental scientist Karen Joyce enjoys a great overview of marine life in the Great Barrier Reef. This photo shows a panoramic view of Heron Island from the west. The flattened, disk-like bodies of two rays are visible in the lower right of the image.

Thanks to drones, new view of the Great Barrier Reef

Mission of discovery

Joyce sets the flying robot on a pre-programmed mission. She operates the drone with a remote control and a computer. Photographs taken by the drone can be downloaded after the mission. This drone view shows the southern part of the Heron Reef flat, and open water out to Wistari Reef.

Thanks to drones, new view of the Great Barrier Reef

Nature is an artist

The Great Barrier Reef is a collection of different undersea habitats. The picture above shows corals and algae on Heron Island from about 20 meters (66 feet) up in the air - and looks like a piece of art. A live feed of what the drone sees will be sent back to Joyce's computer - albeit in low resolution.

Thanks to drones, new view of the Great Barrier Reef

Serious encounter from a safe distance

On the left, sharks can be seen swimming in the boat channel on Heron Island. On the right hand side, dense coral is visible. Drone technology offers a great advantage in that it enables Joyce to survey areas that are too difficult or too dangerous to access. This also allows scientists to cover a much larger area than snorkeling or scuba diving would.

Thanks to drones, new view of the Great Barrier Reef

High-res info

With the help of drones, scientists are able to get high-resolution information with much greater detail than data provided by satellites. This image shows a highly detailed mosaic of hundreds of individual photos taken by Joyce's drone above Heron Reef.

Thanks to drones, new view of the Great Barrier Reef

In need of conservation

The Great Barrier Reef suffers from massive coral bleaching. With this phenomenon, corals expel symbiotic algae, turn white and eventually die. Climate change-induced warming of seawater is regarded as one of the main reasons for coral bleaching. Research by scientists like Karen Joyce could shed further light on the mechanisms behind the phenomenon.